Cover for outlet boxes



July 18, 1939. WAGAR 5 2,166,453

COVER FOR OUTLET BOXES Filed June 27, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR earye 19.

July 18, 1939.

G. H. WAGAR, SR

COVER FOR OUTLET BOXES Filed June 27, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT? BY 7 TTORNEY 6e0rye Patented July 18, 1939 PATENT OFFICE covna son OUTLET BOXES George H. Wagar, Sn, Rochester, N. Y., assignor of one-third to John R. Byers, Jr., Rochca ter, N. Y.

Application June 27,

4 Claims.

The object of this invention is to provide a cover for an'outlet box that is provided with contacts on the outside thereof with which electrical connections can easily be made with plugs that are adapted for that purpose.

Another object of the invention is to make the cover plate so that it will provide contacts for one or more plugs.

Another object of the invention is to provide for locking the plugs after they are in position.

These and other objects of the invention will be illustrated in the drawings, described in the specification, and pointed out in-the claims at the end thereof. a

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the outside-of the cover for the outlet box, showing one of the plugs in place thereon.

Figure 2 is a' plan view of the outside of the cover plate, with the guide plate shown in Figure 1 removed.

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 31:3:r of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a. transverse section on the line 42-42: of Figure 1- Figure 5 is a bottomplan view of the plug.

Figure 6 is a transverse section of the plug, the sectionbeing taken on the line 6x6a: of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a plan view of the inside or concealed surface of the contact plate, showing the binding screws.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the positive contact plate.

Figure 9 is a plan view of the negative contact plate.

Figure 10 is a plan view of the outside of a modified form of a cover for the outlet box.

Figure 11 is a transverse section of a modified form'of the plug.

Figure 12 is a section on the line i2a:l2:c of Figure 10.

Figure 13 shows a section through a portion of the cover plate, and showing two contact pieces thereon instead of one.

In the drawings like reference numerals indicate like parts.

' In the drawings, reference numeral l indicates the contact plate having four radial ribs thereon 2, 3, 4, and 5. This plate arid its ribs are made in one piece 01' insulating material. On this plate is provided the positive contact 6, which is a metal plate having four arms thereon in, lb, 60, and 6d. Each of these arms is positioned alongside of one of the insulating ribs 2, 3, 4 and 5. 0n the opposite side of the ribs is posi- 1938, Serial No. 216,002

tioned the negative contact which is a metal plate having arms 1a, lb, 1c and Id. The arms of the positive plate have a connection that goes through the plate and connects with a binding post 19a on the inside of the plate, and the arms of the negative plate have a connection that goes through the plate and connects with a separate binding post l9bon the inside of the plate. The wires in the outlet box are connected with these two binding posts on the inside of the cover plate, and this makes all of the contacts on the outside of the contact plate alive. The ends of thearms 6a, 6b, 6c and 6d, and la, lb, 1c and Id are slightly, raised from the plate for a purpose that will presently be described.

On the outside of the cover plate is placed a guide plate 8 having four arms 8a, 8b, 8c and 8d.

Each of these arms is positioned over one of the ribs 2, 3, 4 and 5 and conceals both the ribs and the contacts. This guide plate is fastened in place on the cover plate by screws. Two of the screws l6, l6 are long enough to engage with threads in the outlet box, l6a in which threads are provided for that purpose. in Figure 3.

Each of the arms of the guide plate is adapted to receive thereon a plug 9, which plug has an opening in therein through which the two wires of a lamp cord are adapted to extend. On the under side of this plug is placed two binding screws II and II, which connect the wires of the lamp cord with the contact plates l3 and I4, which plates extend laterally toward each other and toward the ribs 2, 3, 4, or 5, as the case may be. The contacts l3 and I 4 are adapted to engage under a pair of the contact plates, for example, Be and Id, and raise said plates slightly. To make the contact more positive, each arm of the guide plate is provided with a cam as shown at Ila, I5b, d in Figure 1. These cams are shown in cross section at [5a and I50 in Figure 3, where they are shown exaggerated. When the plug makes sliding engagement with its arm of the guide plate, it engages this cam and draws the contacts l3 and I4 positively up against the under side of the contacts on the plate.

Asshown in Figure 5 on the side of the plug 9 is pivoted a latch iI, the forward end of which is adapted to engage a pin ll on the cover plate by which the plug is locked in place. A spring I! holdsthis latch in locking position.

The contacts 6 and l are shown in section in Figure 3, where they cross each other in the -plate and are separated from each other by a strip of suitable insulating material.

Such screws are shown These contacts 6 and? are shown separately; in Figures 8 and 9 and in'Figure 9 it will be seen that the central part or yolre of the contact plate 7 is ofiset as indicated'at le, so that when the two plates are placed in proper relation to each other, as shown in Figures 2 and 7, they will not make contact with each other but, on the con-=- trary, a space is left between them for interposing insulating material.

As shown in Figure l, the contacts ii and l are placed on the far side of the plate and are therefore concealed by the plate and are shown in dotted lines. The position of them is reversed as compared with the showing of the combination of the contacts in Figure 2 and a separate showing of themin Figures 8 and 9.

in Figure 1o 1 have shown a portion oi the cover plate having a modified iorrn of guide plate 2d, one of the arms of which is shown in cross section in Figure 12. In this form each of the arms has a s ot therein indicated at it, on either side of which the arms are undercut, and the contact plates it and l are shown therein. The plug 22 carries contacts 23 and 2 3, the up:- right portions oi which travel in the slot all and the out-turned ends thereof 23 and are adapted to engage with the contact plates 6 and l. Thecontact plams ti andl are substantially the same as those shown in Figures 8 and 9, and the plug makes contact by sliding on the guides in the same manner as shown in Figure l, eir= cept that itdoes not engage on the outside of the guide arms but engages in the groove in the guide arms.

In Figure 13 I have shown two contact plates, one placed immediately above the other. The ends of the contacts l3 and i l, shown in Figure 6, are adapted to engage between these two plate so that a better contact will be secured.

I claim:

1. A cover for an outlet box having supporting ribs thereon, said cover being made of insulating arcades thereby, contacts on said plug adapted to make sliding engagement with the contacts on the plate. a

2. A cover for an outlet box having supporting ribs thereon, said cover being made of insulating material, a guide plate of insulating material supported on said ribs and suitably spaced from the cover thereby, positive and negative contacts supported on the cover on opposite sides of said ribs, said guide plate having arms thereon that overhang the contacts, a plug adapted to slidably engage one of said arms and be= ing guided thereby, contacts on said plug adapted to malre sliding engagement with the contacts on the plate. each of said arms having a cam thereon with which the plug engages and by which the plug is lifted so as to bring the contacts forcibly together.

3. The cover for an outlet box having support lng ribs thereon, said'cover being elf insulating material, a guide plate of insulating material supported on said ribs and suitably spaced from the cover thereby, positive and negative con== tacts supported on the cover on opposite sides of said ribs, said guide plate having arms there on that overhang the contacts, said contacts be ing concealed by said arms, a plug adapted to slidablyengage any one of said arms and be- &

ing guided thereby, contacts on saidpiug extending under the arm and adapted to make slida ing engagement with the contacts on the plate. 4. A cover for an outlet vbox having support ing ribs thereon, said cover being made or insulating material, a 'guide'plate' of insulating material supported on said ribs and suitably spaced from the cover thereby, said guide plate having four arms thereon, two contacts each having four arms thereon connected hy a yoke,

said contacts being placed on the cover with the yokes at right angles to each other and insulated irom each other, and with one or the arrns'on each contact on opposite sides of said ribs, the

' arms of said guide plates overhanging said contacts, binding posts on the opposite side of the.

cover, one for each contact plate and connected therewith, plugs guided by said guide plate adapted to engage with the contacts.

GEORGE H. WAGAR, SR. 

